PLANS for a state-of-the-art mental health centre to replace St Luke’s in Middlesbrough have taken a leap forward.

Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust has appointed the John Laing consortium to design, build and operate the scheme on the Marton Road site.

Building work is due to begin in December with the new hospital set to open its doors by 2010.

The £75m development aims to create a non-institutional environment.

It will be built like a mini village with gardens and a cafe and will increase the number of beds available from 250 to 312.

Living accommodation will be at ground level and surrounded by gardens and outdoor areas.

The facility will be renamed and the existing buildings will be demolished and replaced with a park.

Dr Angus Bell, clinical director for adult services at the trust, said people will see a huge transformation.

“It’s going to be laid out as much as possible like a little town or village and should not feel like a hospital. Patients will have their own bedrooms and there will be mixed sex and single sex areas.”

The development will cover 26,700sq metres with a wide range of accommodation to suit the diverse mental health and learning disability services the trust provides.

Con Egan, chief executive said: “We are delighted to achieve this significant milestone in the development of modern mental health and learning disability services on the St Luke’s site.”